Language Version: EN CC
- Own Voice
Ways of Yesterday
Director
Elliott Simon (Anishinaabe)
Cast
Curtis Kagige, Naiemah Kagige, Elliott Simon (Anishinaabe), Brandon Assinewai, Malakai Jacko
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Wapikoni Mobile
The Girl Who Hated Books
Director
Jo Meuris
Writer
Sugith Varughese
Cast
Thor Bishopric, Harry Standjofski, Elizabeth Lofranco, Michael Rudder
Producer
Tamara Lynch
Genre
Family
Interests
Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, French
Language Versions
EN CC, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
The Dingles
Director
Les Drew
Cast
Emma Levine, Christine Olivier
Producer
William Pettigrew
Genre
Family
Interests
Family Relationships, Literary Adaptation
Original Languages
English, French
Language Versions
EN CC, FR CC
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
- Own Voice
Where The River Widens
Director
Zach Greenleaf (Mi’gmaq)
Writer
Zach Greenleaf (Mi’gmaq)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Wapikoni Mobile
Yellow Sticky Notes
Director
Jeff Chiba Stearns
Producer
Jeff Chiba Stearns
Genres
Animation, Drama
Interest
Arts and Culture
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
- Own Voice
The Skin We’re In
An urgent exploration of race relations, this documentary from acclaimed director Charles Officer follows award-winning journalist and activist Desmond Cole as he pulls back the curtain on racism in Canada, inviting all Canadians to understand the experience of being in his skin. Cole won a National Magazine Award for his impactful and incisive Toronto Life cover story about carding and racial profiling. Now, in Officer’s starkly honest doc, he journeys across North America, exploring what it’s really like to be Black in the 21st century.
“Cole’s journey is not just toward discovery, but toward the unveiling of a desperate, hidden truth: the truth about the skin he’s in. And the Canada we thought we knew.” – CBC.ca
Director
Charles Officer
Actor, writer and filmmaker Officer’s first feature, Nurse.Fighter.Boy, was nominated for 10 Genies, winning one. Officer also directed the docs Mighty Jerome, The Skin We're In, Unarmed Verses, and Invisible Essence: The Little Prince, as well as the feature Akilla's Escape, which won five CSAs. He directed episodes of Coroner, and executive produced and co-directed The Porter, which was nominated for an Emmy. Officer passed away in 2023. He changed the Canadian film and television landscape with his fierce dedication to portraying Black perspectives and experiences, and is greatly missed.
Cast
Desmond Cole
Producer
Stuart Henderson
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
CBC
- Own Voice
Mr. Sanderson
Directors
Ray Sanderson, Terrie McIntosh (Ojibwe)
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Lights for Gita
Director
Michel Vo
Genre
Animation
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Global Experiences
Original Languages
English, French
Language Versions
EN CC, FR CC
- Own Voice
Now Is the Time
Director
Christopher Auchter (Haida)
Writer
Christopher Auchter (Haida)
Producer
Selwyn Jacob
Genre
Documentary
Interests
BIPOC Stories, History, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Subtitles
SARS-CoV-2
We have been changed in innumerable ways by the historical event of SARS-CoV-2. Ways that we haven’t begun to comprehend. In this short, an individual reflects on the chaos and monotony of the past year.
Director
Andrew Huculiak
Writer
Andrew Huculiak
Cast
Emily Schoen
Producer
Josh Huculiak
Genre
Documentary
Interest
Global Experiences
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
- Own Voice
Mohawk Girls
With insight, humour and heart, director Tracey Deer (who left Kahnawake to attend school and pursue filmmaking) returns to her community to follow these Mohawk girls and tell their stories. Her deeply emotional documentary reveals the complex hope, heartache and promise of growing up Indigenous in the 21st century.
Director
Tracey Deer (Mohawk)
Deer is an award-winning filmmaker, producer, and writer who has directed documentaries such as Club Native and Mohawk Girls, which was adapted into a TV series that ran for five seasons and earned numerous CSA nominations. Her narrative feature debut, Beans, won eleven awards, including Best Picture at the CSAs. She has also directed episodes of Hudson & Rex, Rutherford Falls, Three Pines, and Outlander.
Writer
Tracey Deer (Mohawk)
Producers
Christina Fon, Linda Ludwick, Adam Symansky, Joanne Robertson
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Biography, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
National Film Board (NFB)
Spinster
On her 39th birthday, Gaby (Chelsea Peretti) finds that she's hit a crossroad in her life. Fresh off of yet another failed relationship, everyone in her life is asking when she's going to settle down. It doesn't help that as a wedding caterer, she's constantly reminded of this pressure. With the dating scene looking bleaker than ever, Gabye begins to wonder whether she'd be happier if she never finds 'the one'.
Andrea Dorfman’s clever twist on the romantic comedy genre features a brilliant performance from Chelsea Peretti (Brooklyn Nine Nine), who brings a touching depth of character along with her trademark acerbic wit.
Director
Andrea Dorfman
Dorfman’s short live action/animation collaboration with poet-musician Tanya Davis, How to Be Alone, garnered over 10 million views on YouTube and was adapted into a book published by HarperCollins, illustrated by Dorfman. They made a follow-up, the NFB animation How to Be at Home, during the first Covid lockdown. Dorfman has directed the feature films Parsley Days, Love That Boy, Heartbeat, and Spinster, and animated the NFB shorts Flawed and Big Mouth.
Writer
Jennifer Deyell
Cast
Chelsea Peretti
Producers
Jay Dahl, Bill Niven, Marc Tetreault, William Woods
Genres
Comedy, Romance
Interest
Female Filmmaker
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Game Theory Films
Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage
Featuring never-before-seen archival footage and interviews with some of rock’s greatest artists, this documentary explores the long career of these Canadian musical heroes.
Directors
Sam Dunn
Dunn is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, musician, anthropologist, and co-founder of Toronto-based production company Banger Films. Dunn’s co-directing credits include Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage, and Iron Maiden: Flight 666. He also produced Any Other Way: The Jackie Shane Story, which won eight awards internationally including the DGC Special Jury Prize at Hot Docs and was named to TIFF’s Canada’s Top Ten.
Writers
Mike Munn, Sam Dunn, Scot McFadyen
Producers
Scot McFadyen, Sam Dunn
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, Biography, History
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
eOne
Brotherhood
Director
Richard Bell
Writer
Richard Bell
Cast
Brendan Fehr, Brendan Fletcher, Jake Manley
Producers
Anand Ramayya, Andrew Bronfman, Mehernaz Lentin
Genre
Drama
Interest
History
Original Language
English
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
levelFILM
- Own Voice
Portraits from a Fire
Tyler (Lulua), a young aspiring filmmaker, spends his days comedically documenting life on the Tl’etinqox Reserve where he lives, but everything changes when he meets the mysterious Aaron (Koostachin) who encourages him to tell a new kind of story. What starts out as a personal project about his family soon leads to the reveal of a shocking secret that threatens to unravel his life.
A coming of age story that is often funny and surreal, this debut feature from director Trevor Mack is also a poignant look at the importance of family and being in touch with one’s ancestry.
“Portraits from a Fire boasts some superb production values… wrapped around a simple, heartfelt tale that is clearly close to the heart of its 29-year-old director.” – Chris Knight, The National Post
Director
Trevor Mack (Tsilhqot'in)
Trevor Mack is an award-winning Tsilhqot'in filmmaker. His first short film, The Blanketing, screened at festivals across North America, including the imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival. He has also directed numerous shorts, including Clouds of Autumn, which won the award for best Canadian short at imagineNATIVE. Portraits from a Fire is his first feature. He is currently working on his next film, Journey of a Drop.
Writers
Manny Mahal, Derek Vermillion (Cree), Trevor Mack (Tsilhqot'in)
Cast
Pauline Bob-King (Tsilhqot'in), Asivak Koostachin (Cree/Inuk), William Magnus Lulua (Tsilhqot'in/Secwépemc/Cree), Nathaniel Arcand (Plains Cree)
Producers
Rylan Friday (Saulteaux Ojibway/Plains Cree), Kate Kroll, Trevor Mack (Tsilhqot'in)
Genres
Comedy, Drama
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Family Relationships, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Language Version
EN CC
Canadian Distributor
Photon Films
- Own Voice
Je m’appelle humain (Call Me Human)
After spending most of her life working as an Innu language translator and transcriber, Joséphine Bacon rose to fame late in life in her second career as an award-winning poet. This moving profile frames her life and work in a new context, offering a deeply personal look at an important literary figure in Canada.
Je m'appele humain premiered at the Quebec City Film Festival to great acclaim, and went on to receive four Prix Iris nominations, including Best Documentary.
Director
Kim O'Bomsawin (Abenaki)
A passionate activist for human rights, Kim O’bomsawin has written and directed multiple documentaries for film and TV. Her first film La ligne rouge, focused on three young Indigenous hockey players experiencing conflict between their love of hockey and their own cultural practices. She went on to direct Ce silence qui tue and Je m’appelle humain, which won VIFF’s Best Canadian Documentary award in 2020.
Writers
Nathalie Gressin, Kim O'Bomsawin (Abenaki)
Cast
Adam Bouhouhou, Joséphine Bacon (Innu)
Producer
Andrée-Anne Frenette
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, Biography, BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker
Original Languages
French, Other Language
Language Versions
EN CC, EN Subtitles, FR CC, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Maison 4:3
- Own Voice
Night Raiders
A compelling and propulsive dystopian thriller grounded in an allegory for the residential school system, Night Raiders is the story of Niska (Tailfeathers), a Cree mother in an impossible situation. As she travels across a war-torn Turtle Island (North America), she is caught in a desperate attempt to save her daughter from a state-run forced re-education camp. With the world against her, Niska joins forces with a group of underground resistance fighters seeking to free their children and save their future.
Anchored by an incredible lead performance from Tailfeathers along with a stellar supporting cast, this powerful and heartfelt debut feature from Danis Goulet premiered at TIFF in 2021 and was nominated for eleven Canadian Screen Awards, winning six, including Best Original Screenplay.
“Night Raiders should become the most talked-about Canadian film of the year. And for good reason.” – Barry Hertz, The Globe and Mail
Director
Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)
Danis Goulet is an award-winning Cree/Métis filmmaker from La Ronge, SK, now based in Toronto. Her films have screened at festivals worldwide including Sundance, Berlinale, TIFF, and MoMA. She has directed numerous short films, including Wapawekka, Barefoot, Wakening, Blind Spot, and others. Night Raiders was her first feature film. It premiered at TIFF 2021 and went on to win 14 awards, including six CSAs. She has also directed episodes of Reservation Dogs and North of North.
Writer
Danis Goulet (Cree/Métis)
Cast
Violet Nelson (Kwakwakaʼwakw), Amanda Plummer, Shaun Sipos, Alex Tarrant (Māori-Niuean-Samoan), Brooklyn Letexier-Hart (Cree/Métis)
Producers
Eva Thomas (Ojibwe), Chelsea Winstanley, Georgina Allison Conder, Ainsley Gardiner (Ngāti Awa/Te Whānau-a-Apanui/Ngāti Pikiao/Whakatōhea), Tara Woodbury
Genres
Action/Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Discrimination, Family Relationships, Female Filmmaker, Indigenous Filmmaker, Social Justice & Politics, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, Other Language
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles, Other CC
Canadian Distributor
Elevation Pictures
Giant Little Ones
Heartfelt and intimate, this film explores friendship, self-discovery and the power of unlabeled love.
Director
Keith Behrman
Behrman is a writer and filmmaker whose writing and directing credits include the shorts Thomas; White Cloud, Blue Mountain; and Ernest. He directed episodes of The Unprofessionals, Da Vinci’s Inquest, This Is Wonderland, among others, and created the show The Stagers. His first feature, Flower and Garnet, premiered at TIFF and won 17 awards. His second feature, Giant Little Ones, also premiered at TIFF and won eight awards internationally.
Writer
Keith Behrman
Cast
Maria Bello, Kyle MacLachlan, Taylor Hickson, Darren Mann, Josh Wiggins
Producer
Allison Black
Genre
Drama
Interests
Family Relationships, LGBTQ2S+
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub, FR Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Mongrel Media
Oscar Peterson: Black + White
Director
Barry Avrich
Prolific producer, director, and writer Avrich has made many acclaimed documentaries including The Last Mogul, Show Stopper: The Theatrical Life of Garth Drabinsky, David Foster: Off the Record, and Oscar Peterson: Black + White, for which he won a best direction CSA in 2022. Avrich has authored three books, and produced and directed several film adaptations of theatrical productions, such as the 2021 Stratford Festival production Edward Albee’s Three Tall Women, for which he was nominated for a CSA.
Cast
Jon Batiste, Daniel Clarke Bouchard, Measha Brueggergosman, Herbie Hancock
Producers
Barry Avrich, Mark Selby
Genre
Documentary
Interests
Arts and Culture, BIPOC Stories, History, Social Justice & Politics
Original Language
English
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Dub
- Own Voice
Tia and Piujuq
Tia (Bshara) is a 10-year-old refugee from Syria, living in Montreal and struggling to make friends and feel comfortable in her new environment. While her parents are preoccupied with her mother’s pregnancy and the challenges of everyday life in a new place, Tia is left mostly to her own devices.
Everything changes when she discovers a magical portal that transports her to Igloolik, a community in the Arctic Circle. There she meets Piujuq (Tulugarjuk), an Inuk girl who she quickly forms a deep bond with in spite of their cultural differences. Through their friendship, the stories of Piujuq’s grandmother, and their wanderings across the striking northern landscape, the girls are immersed in Inuit myth and magic.
A heartwarming magical-realist fable about friendship and discovery, Tia and Piujuq is a delightful adventure for all ages.
Director
Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuk)
Tulugarjuk is an actor, throat singer, writer and director who has starred in Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner, L’iceberg, The Journals of Knud Rasmussen and Maïna, among other films. Tia and Piujuq was her directorial debut. She wrote, directed and starred in What We See, which won the Amplify Voices Award at TIFF 2023.
Writers
Samuel Cohn-Cousineau, Marie-Hélène Cousineau, Lucy Tulugarjuk (Inuk)
Cast
Madeline Piujuq Ivalu (Inuk), Nuvvija Tulugarjuk (Inuk), Tia Bshara
Genres
Drama, Family, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Interests
BIPOC Stories, Female Filmmaker, Global Experiences, Indigenous Filmmaker, Newcomer Stories, Strong Female Leads
Original Languages
English, French, Inuktitut, Other Language
Language Versions
EN CC, FR Subtitles, Other Subtitles
Canadian Distributor
Vtape